Wheel.



BATENTED FEB. 11, 1908. a. ADAMS-RANDALL. WHEEL.

J..?PLIOAT,IDN FILED FEB. 21, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. C

, CHARLES ADAMS-RANDALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ADAMS- RANDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvedwheel for self-propelled and other vehicles.

In the construction and us'e of'self-progelled carriages, auto-cars and the like, it as been found necessary to have resilient, pliable, or elasticall, cushioned wheels to prevent excessive jo ting of the occupants, and injury to or disarrangementbf the working arts and machinery of the car. I eretofore it has been customary and usual to have some form of pneumatic tire aplplied to the tire proper of a solid wheel.

pri-

is has been found exceedingly c'ostly(i b marily, and also in maintenance, an

Y sides, serious objections have arisen to this form of tire because of frequent puncturing and bursting of the same while in use,.and

also the tearing of the tirefrom the main part of the wheel by obstacles in the road way, and injturning short corners at a high speed, such occurrences causing many accidents, fatal and otherwise, and damageto the cars as well as much delay and expense. Variousmeans have been devised for protecting a pneumatic tire by outer covers of rubber, cloth, for leather, and with coverings of leather or other material provided with metal studs embedded in the material, or with metal rivets passing through such material. These devices, however,-while having some advantages, are far from perfect and add to the cost, maintenanceand weight, besides being very ungainly in appearance. The object of this invention is to overcome these obiections, all and several, and toproduce a c leap, reliable, safe, neat,- practically resilient Wheel to take the place'of the exposed, ternal, dangerous and unsatisfactory pneumatic tire. i a ii To this end, the invention, consists gen-- erallyin' the construotion' of a compound wheelhaving two main portions or parts,

one external to the other,' witha smtsgble pneumaticcushion or cushions intermedlary,

with simple mechanical me ans for connect ing the same in a yielding manner to cause them'to revolve together, thoughtherelafive-positions of corres )onding radial parts of the two rims may c range as the condi- Specification of Letters Patent;

Application filed February 21. 1906- Serial No- 302.312.

tions of the roadway may require, so as to rat ntedneu l, 1908; 1

produce'a spring-like resilientaction of the wheel between the hub and outer tire to prevent excessive jolting and other disadvan-ta es! Under this general construction, all of t e resiliency or pliability of the use of a pneumatic tire is obtained, and the pneumatic cushion, under the present improved construction, is protected from undue wear and tear, and also from all possibility of puncturing, bursting, oraccidental removal from the wheel, and theconseqnent danger and trouble resulting therefrom, and the primary cost and expense of maintenance are materially reduced,

Various forms of construction are possible under this general arrangement, as specified,

but for the purpose of practically demonstrating the invention, the accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred forms, and

thereini Figure l is a side elevation ofa wheel e bodying the features of the inventioinone of the hub members having been removed, Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the center of a portion ofthe wheel. Fig. 3 is a transversevertical sectionsimilar to that illustrated byFig. 4 showing a modification. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of-a portion of the wheel shown by Fig. 3.

, Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the-several views. a Q

The numeral 1, Fig. 1, represents the axleupon which the central portion or hub 2 of i the wheel is ri idly or loosely secured in. any of the well 'nown ways; This central ably formed with's okes 4, which are fas tened' together 'hy-bo ts, screws or other analogous devices; 5; and when secured theyprovide means forholding a pneumatic'cushion 6 in normal position, and also the-freely movable outer run or tire 7, which maybe made of any I suitable material, the T tire 7 having 8, formed infismd tireand also through coin-' 1 ciding bolt openings: in the router extremities;

bolts '5 passing through suitable bolt holes? of the members. 3+3t :Thehpneumatic cushion 6-; when properly; inflated; acts to I. hold the tirev7 in normal positionrelativel to'the central portion or hub 2*of thetwhee and during such normal-condition the bolts.

5. are located inthe center of the holes 8 the.

latter being of considerably greater. diameter;

' ion 6, as clearly shown by Fig. 2.

than the bolts to permit play, and when an increase of pressure isrimposed on the tire 7 and the hub 2, or a pressure in excess of the normal weight of the carriage and its load, the pneumatic cushion is compressed or yields, and thehub moves relatively to such increased weight and gives to the wheel a resilient action and obviates inconvenient jolting when passing over irregularities on the roadway. The tire 7 is recessed, as at 7*, to avoid interference with the outer extremities of the members 3 and '3, and the latter at the point of location of the cushion 6' are curved outwardly, as at 6*, to provide a proper seat for the cushion. The inner edge of the tire 7 contacts directly with the cushmay be readily assembled or disassociated through the medium of the removable bolts and nuts or other. analogous fast'enings 5, which engage the spokes 4.

When all the parts of the improved wheel are properly assembled, the pneumatic cushion 6 Will be fully shielded and covered, thus increasing its wearing qualities and durability, and in view of the fact that the said pneumatic cushion does not contact with the bed of the roadway or other surface over which the wheel has movement, there will be no liability of puncturing such cushion, with material advantages in wheel structures of the class set forth.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a slight modification of the wheel, and said modification consists of annular plates 9, 9, of approximately the same diameter as the rim 7 ,the said plates being securedto the rim by screws or other suitable fastenings 10, and. thus caused to move with the rim. These plates have free movement over the outer surfaces of the spokes 4 of the hub -2, and are preferably made of steel. These annular plates give additional strength to the wheel and afford protection to the moving parts and prevent, to a large extent, the injurious effect of dust and dirt thereon. In this instance, the bolts or connecting devices 5* corresponding to the bolts 5?, heretofore described, have their ends held within the outer extremities of the s olres 4, but this arrangement is approximately the same as that illustrated by Fig. 2.

' In the forms of the wheel set forth, the usual means for inflating will be provided, though not shown. While the fore oing forms of the wheel are preferred and wi 1, no doubt, be used more extensively than other arrangements embodying the same principle, it will be understood that modifications may be adopted without sacrificing the essential features whieh consist of a wheel having movable parts cooperating with a cushion sealed or covered within the body of the wheel and receiving the excessive weight pressure or abnormal weight imposed uponthe wheel, with a resilient or cushioning ef- The parts feet to avoid the transmission of sudden olts or unpleasant vibrations to the occupants of .an auto-car or other vehicle on which the wheel may be used. It is also proposed, when found necessary, to use tractive projections on the rim portions of the wheel.

Having thus described the invention, wha is claimed, is:

1. In a resilient wheel, the combination of a hub and spoke portion constructed in two halves and immovably secured together, the outer edges of the halves of the hub and spoke portion being free and opening into a seat at a distance inwardly between the of a hub and s oke portion constructed in two halves and aving means for immovably securing the same together and having a seat near the free open, edges thereof, a

' pliable inflatable air cushion disposed in said seat and inclosed by the'halves of the s oke portion in which the said seat is forrne an outer independent tire or traction device surrounding the hub and spoke portion and having an inwardly projecting part movably engaging the space between the outer free edges of the said halves and resting on the cushion, the said inwardly'projecting a'rt being transversely slotted, and means ed to the outer free edges of the two halves and extending transversely through the slots of the inwardly projecting part of the tire or traction device.

3. In a resilient wheel, the combination of a hub and s oke portion constructed in two halves and aving means'for immovably securing the same together and having a seat near the free open edges thereof, a pliable inflatable air cushion disposed in said seat and inclosed by the halves of the spoke portion in which the said seat, is formed, an outer inde endent tire or traction device surrounding tl ie hub and spoke portion and having an inwardly projecting part movably engaging the space between the outer free edges of the said halves and resting on the cushion, the said inwardly projecting part being transversely slotted, means fixed to the outer free edges of the two halves and extending transversely through the slots of the inwardly projecting part of the tire or traction device, and an annular late fixed to the tire or traction device an movably projecting inwardly over and bearing upon the outersides of the free ence of the halves of the hub and spoke ortion 4. In aresilient w eel, a hub and spoke section constructed in two halves Winch ere immovahly secured together, an inelosed seat being formed in the two hnivee inwardly a distance from the outer free edges of the tWo halves of the hub and. spoke section, a pliable inflatable air cushion disposed in the said eeet, an independent outer tire or tree-d device surrounding the huh and spoke section and movably fitted between the two halves of the letter outside of and bearing" on the air cushion and formed with recesses in the I opposite outer side portions thereof in which 15 the outer free edges of the halves of the section are movable, and connecting rods fixed in the outer free edges of the two halves of the hub and spoke section and loosely engaged by the inner portion of the tire or 20 treeld device.

In testimoi'iywhereof I heve hereunto set my hand in presence of twosu bscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES ADAMS-RANDALL. Witnesses I D. D. Lovmlviiee,

RIOI-IMANQ 

